BMI Chart for Women: Healthy Weight by Height
How much should a 5′4″ woman weigh? Is 140 pounds too much at that height? And is there a new BMI chart for 2026?
Only 28.1% of US women have a BMI in CDC’s healthy range of 18.5 to 24.9 (our calculation from CDC measurements, 2021–2023). Since June 2026, the American Diabetes Association also counts waist size, and its thresholds put 69.4% of US women in the obesity range, compared with about 4 in 10 by BMI alone (our calculation).
Below: the chart for every height from 4′10″ to 6′0″ in pounds and kilograms, where US women fall on it by age, and what the 2026 waist rules add.
A healthy BMI for women is 18.5 to 24.9, the same range as for men (CDC). Under 18.5 is underweight, 25 to 29.9 overweight and 30 or more obesity. At 5′4″, the healthy weight is 108 to 145 lb (49 to 65 kg); at 5′6″, 115 to 154 lb (52 to 70 kg).
- 28.1% of US women have a healthy BMI and 41.3% have obesity (our calculation from CDC measurements, 2021–2023; NCHS publishes the same obesity rate).
- Half of US women with a healthy BMI (50.2%) have a waist at least half their height. Since June 2026, the American Diabetes Association counts a waist that size toward obesity from a BMI of 25, or 23 for women of Asian background.
- The chart doesn’t apply in pregnancy: CDC’s weight-gain advice depends on BMI before pregnancy.
Medical disclaimer: This guide is for information only. BMI is a screening measure, not a diagnosis. Ask a healthcare professional for medical advice.
BMI chart for women by height and weight
Each cell is the range of whole pounds, with kilograms below, that gives a BMI in that category at that height. The healthy weight runs from 89 to 119 lb at 4′10″ to 137 to 183 lb at 6′0″.
| Height | UnderweightBMI under 18.5 | Healthy weightBMI 18.5–24.9 | OverweightBMI 25–29.9 | Class 1 obesityBMI 30–34.9 | Class 2 obesityBMI 35–39.9 | Class 3 obesityBMI 40 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4′10″ (147.3 cm) | ≤ 88 lb (40 kg) | 89–119 lb (41–54 kg) | 120–143 lb (55–65 kg) | 144–167 lb (66–75 kg) | 168–191 lb (76–86 kg) | ≥ 192 lb (87 kg) |
| 4′11″ (149.9 cm) | ≤ 91 lb (41 kg) | 92–123 lb (42–56 kg) | 124–148 lb (57–67 kg) | 149–173 lb (68–78 kg) | 174–197 lb (79–89 kg) | ≥ 198 lb (90 kg) |
| 5′0″ (152.4 cm) | ≤ 94 lb (42 kg) | 95–127 lb (43–57 kg) | 128–153 lb (58–69 kg) | 154–178 lb (70–81 kg) | 179–204 lb (82–92 kg) | ≥ 205 lb (93 kg) |
| 5′1″ (154.9 cm) | ≤ 97 lb (44 kg) | 98–132 lb (45–59 kg) | 133–158 lb (60–71 kg) | 159–184 lb (72–83 kg) | 185–211 lb (84–95 kg) | ≥ 212 lb (96 kg) |
| 5′2″ (157.5 cm) | ≤ 100 lb (45 kg) | 101–136 lb (46–61 kg) | 137–163 lb (62–74 kg) | 164–191 lb (75–86 kg) | 192–218 lb (87–99 kg) | ≥ 219 lb (100 kg) |
| 5′3″ (160.0 cm) | ≤ 104 lb (47 kg) | 105–140 lb (48–63 kg) | 141–169 lb (64–76 kg) | 170–197 lb (77–89 kg) | 198–225 lb (90–102 kg) | ≥ 226 lb (103 kg) |
| 5′4″ (162.6 cm) | ≤ 107 lb (48 kg) | 108–145 lb (49–65 kg) | 146–174 lb (66–79 kg) | 175–203 lb (80–92 kg) | 204–232 lb (93–105 kg) | ≥ 233 lb (106 kg) |
| 5′5″ (165.1 cm) | ≤ 110 lb (50 kg) | 111–149 lb (51–68 kg) | 150–179 lb (69–81 kg) | 180–210 lb (82–95 kg) | 211–240 lb (96–108 kg) | ≥ 241 lb (109 kg) |
| 5′6″ (167.6 cm) | ≤ 114 lb (51 kg) | 115–154 lb (52–70 kg) | 155–185 lb (71–84 kg) | 186–216 lb (85–98 kg) | 217–247 lb (99–112 kg) | ≥ 248 lb (113 kg) |
| 5′7″ (170.2 cm) | ≤ 117 lb (53 kg) | 118–159 lb (54–72 kg) | 160–191 lb (73–86 kg) | 192–223 lb (87–101 kg) | 224–255 lb (102–115 kg) | ≥ 256 lb (116 kg) |
| 5′8″ (172.7 cm) | ≤ 121 lb (55 kg) | 122–164 lb (56–74 kg) | 165–196 lb (75–89 kg) | 197–229 lb (90–104 kg) | 230–262 lb (105–119 kg) | ≥ 263 lb (120 kg) |
| 5′9″ (175.3 cm) | ≤ 124 lb (56 kg) | 125–168 lb (57–76 kg) | 169–202 lb (77–91 kg) | 203–236 lb (92–107 kg) | 237–270 lb (108–122 kg) | ≥ 271 lb (123 kg) |
| 5′10″ (177.8 cm) | ≤ 128 lb (58 kg) | 129–173 lb (59–78 kg) | 174–208 lb (79–94 kg) | 209–243 lb (95–110 kg) | 244–278 lb (111–126 kg) | ≥ 279 lb (127 kg) |
| 5′11″ (180.3 cm) | ≤ 132 lb (60 kg) | 133–178 lb (61–81 kg) | 179–214 lb (82–97 kg) | 215–250 lb (98–113 kg) | 251–286 lb (114–129 kg) | ≥ 287 lb (130 kg) |
| 6′0″ (182.9 cm) | ≤ 136 lb (61 kg) | 137–183 lb (62–83 kg) | 184–220 lb (84–100 kg) | 221–257 lb (101–116 kg) | 258–294 lb (117–133 kg) | ≥ 295 lb (134 kg) |
Whole pounds and kilograms whose BMI, rounded to one decimal, falls in each category at the height shown. Each unit is worked out on its own, so the kilograms are not conversions of the pounds. Cut-offs: CDC Adult BMI Categories. Kilogram limits are for the exact height in inches; the centimeters shown are rounded to one decimal. Each row has its own link, for example #h-5-4 for 5′4″.
How to read the chart
- Find your height in the left column. Centimeters are under each height.
- Read across to the cell that holds your weight. Its column is your BMI category.
- For the exact number, use the BMI calculator for women, or find your height and weight on the printable chart.
Example. Say you’re 5′5″ and weigh 160 lb (72.6 kg). The overweight cell in that row runs from 150 to 179 lb, so 160 lb is overweight: a BMI of 26.6 (160 × 703 ÷ 65², rounded to one decimal; CDC formula). The healthy range at 5′5″ is 111 to 149 lb, so 160 lb is 11 lb above it.
Why other charts give different numbers
NIH’s printable BMI table has one column for each whole BMI from 19 to 54 (NIH). At 5′4″ its BMI 19 column reads 110 lb and its BMI 24 column 140 lb, so a chart read from it gives 110 to 140 lb for that height. CDC’s healthy range runs from 18.5 to 24.9, and on this chart that is 108 to 145 lb.
Other differences come from rounding and from “ideal weight” formulas. We round BMI to one decimal, the way CDC’s survey records it, and list only whole pounds whose rounded BMI falls in the range. Ideal-weight formulas give one weight per height instead of a range; the ideal weight calculator shows four of them.
Where US women fall on the chart
Most US women are above the healthy range: 28.6% are overweight and 41.3% have obesity, including 12.1% with a BMI of 40 or more. The median US woman has a BMI of 28.3, in the overweight band (our calculation).
Women aged 20 to 39 are the most likely to have a healthy BMI, at 33.8%. Obesity peaks at 40 to 59 (47.4%), and class 3 obesity is least common at 60 and over (8.4%, against 13.0% at 20 to 39 and 14.7% at 40 to 59).
| Age | Under 18.5 | 18.5–24.9 | 25–29.9 | 30 or more | 40 or more | Women measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 to 39 | 2.9% | 33.8% | 26.5% | 36.8% | 13.0% | 826 |
| 40 to 59 | 1.6% | 23.9% | 27.2% | 47.4% | 14.7% | 947 |
| 60 and over | 1.6% | 26.5% | 32.3% | 39.6% | 8.4% | 1,476 |
| All, 20 and over | 2.0% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 41.3% | 12.1% | 3,249 |
Our calculation from CDC NHANES August 2021–August 2023 measured heights and weights (3,249 women aged 20 and over; survey-weighted; pregnant women excluded). The obesity and BMI 40 or more shares match NCHS’s published rates for women at every age (Data Brief 508). Each share has a 95% margin of error of up to ±8 points, and each difference by age stated above is larger than its own margin of error.
For what US women weigh at each height, see average weight by height; US obesity statistics has the trends since 1960.
Waist size at the same BMI
BMI can’t show where fat sits. US guidelines treat a waist over 35 inches (88 cm) in women as a marker of higher risk, mainly at a BMI of 25 to 34.9 (NHLBI). For adults with a BMI under 35, NICE (UK) classes a waist-to-height ratio of 0.5 to 0.59 as increased central adiposity and 0.6 or more as high (NICE).
Among US women with a healthy BMI, 16.8% have a waist of 88 cm (34.6 in) or more, and 50.2% have a waist at least half their height. At an overweight BMI the shares are 79.1% and 95.5%; with obesity, nearly all.
In June 2026 the American Diabetes Association put the waist into the diagnosis (ADA). For adults of non-Asian background, obesity is a BMI of 30 or more, or a BMI of 25 or more with a waist-to-height ratio of 0.5 or more or a waist of 88 cm (about 35 in) or more in women. For adults of Asian background the lines are a BMI of 27.5, or 23 with the same ratio or a waist of 80 cm (31.5 in) in women (ADA, 2026). For comparison, CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program uses a BMI of 23 or higher, instead of 25, as one of its eligibility criteria for Asian American adults (CDC).
Most of the gap, 24.9 points, comes from non-Asian women with a BMI of 25 to 29.9: 95.2% of them have a waist at or above the line. In CDC’s body scans of women aged 20 to 59, the median woman had 33.4% body fat at a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9, 39.5% at 25 to 29.9 and 44.0% at 30 or more; the median man at a healthy BMI had 22.1% (our analysis of NHANES 2011–2018).
The waist-to-height ratio guide shows how to measure it, and the body fat calculator estimates body fat from a tape measure.
Does the chart change with age?
Not for adults. CDC uses one set of categories for every woman aged 20 and over, “regardless of age, sex, or race” (CDC). The body behind the BMI does change with age:
- Body fat. At the same BMI, body fat depends on age as well as sex (Gallagher et al., 2000).
- Muscle. “Loss of muscle mass in older adults reduces the accuracy of BMI, which may lead to underdiagnosis of obesity” (ADA, 2026).
- Mortality data. In never-smokers, per 5 BMI units above 25, the risk of death was 52% higher for BMI measured at ages 35 to 49 but 21% higher at 70 to 89, women and men combined (Global BMI Mortality Collaboration, 2016). In adults 65 and over, compared with a BMI of 23 to 23.9, the risk of death was higher below 23 and began to rise at about 33 (Winter et al., 2014). These are associations, not separate ranges.
Under 20, BMI is read as a percentile for age and sex, not on this chart; the BMI calculator for children and teens works it out for ages 2 to 19. BMI by age explains how the adult range applies across life, and the healthy BMI range guide has the mortality data behind it.
BMI charts and pregnancy
Adult BMI categories are for people who aren’t pregnant: the 2026 ADA standards cover nonpregnant adults (ADA, 2026), and NCHS leaves pregnant women out of its adult BMI statistics, as this page does. During pregnancy, CDC’s advice on weight gain depends on your BMI before pregnancy, using recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (CDC):
| BMI before pregnancy | Total gain |
|---|---|
| Under 18.5Underweight | 28–40 lb(12.7–18.1 kg) |
| 18.5–24.9Normal weight | 25–35 lb(11.3–15.9 kg) |
| 25.0–29.9Overweight | 15–25 lb(6.8–11.3 kg) |
| 30.0–39.9Obese | 11–20 lb(5.0–9.1 kg) |
Source: CDC, Weight Gain During Pregnancy, which writes the last row as BMI 30.0–39.9 and also gives ranges for twins. Kilograms are our conversions of CDC’s pounds.
Frequently asked questions
At 5′4″ (162.6 cm), a healthy weight is 108 to 145 lb (49 to 65 kg), a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 (CDC). Under 108 lb is underweight, 146 to 174 lb is overweight and 175 lb or more is obesity. The average US woman of that height weighs 171.2 lb (our calculation from CDC measurements, 2021–2023; average weight by height).
There isn’t a new chart. CDC’s adult categories are unchanged: a healthy weight is a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9, and the page was last reviewed in March 2024 (CDC). What changed in June 2026 is the American Diabetes Association’s definition of obesity: its new standards add the waist, so a woman of non-Asian background with a BMI of 25 or more meets it if her waist is 88 cm (about 35 in) or more, or at least half her height (ADA, 2026). By the ADA thresholds, including its lower ones for women of Asian background, 69.4% of US women have obesity, against 41.8% of the same women by BMI alone (our calculation).
18.5 to 24.9, the same as for men: CDC bases adult categories on BMI “regardless of age, sex, or race” (CDC). At a healthy BMI, though, the median US woman aged 20 to 59 had 33.4% body fat and the median man 22.1% (our analysis of CDC body scans, 2011–2018). 28.1% of US women have a BMI in the range (our calculation, 2021–2023).
Not by CDC’s categories. A BMI of 23 sits inside CDC’s healthy range of 18.5 to 24.9; at 5′4″ it is about 134 lb (61 kg). About 81% of US women have a higher BMI (our calculation from CDC measurements, 2021–2023). For women of Asian background, 23 is where the 2026 American Diabetes Association standards start counting the waist: a BMI of 23 or more with a waist of 80 cm (31.5 in) or more, or at least half the height, counts as obesity (ADA, 2026).
The same at every adult age: 18.5 to 24.9 for women 20 and older (CDC). Under 20, BMI is read as a percentile for age and sex instead (BMI calculator for children and teens). Among US women, 33.8% of those aged 20 to 39 have a BMI in the range, 23.9% at 40 to 59 and 26.5% at 60 and over (our calculation, 2021–2023).
CDC’s healthy range, 18.5 to 24.9, applies at 70 too. In a meta-analysis of 197,940 people aged 65 and over, compared with a BMI of 23 to 23.9, the risk of death was higher below 23 and began to rise at about 33 (Winter et al., 2014). That is an association, not a separate range. The American Diabetes Association also notes that “loss of muscle mass in older adults reduces the accuracy of BMI, which may lead to underdiagnosis of obesity” (ADA, 2026).
Not by CDC’s categories. At 5′4″, 140 lb (63.5 kg) is a BMI of 24.0, inside the healthy range for that height, 108 to 145 lb; overweight starts at 146 lb. For women of Asian background, the 2026 American Diabetes Association standards count a BMI of 23 or more as obesity when the waist is 80 cm (31.5 in) or more, or at least half the height (ADA, 2026).
No. At 5′4″, 125 lb (56.7 kg) is a BMI of 21.5, in the middle of the healthy range (108 to 145 lb). Underweight starts below 108 lb, a BMI under 18.5 (CDC).
CDC’s term is class 3 or severe obesity: a BMI of 40 or more (CDC). At 5′4″ that is 233 lb (106 kg) or more. 12.1% of US women have a BMI of 40 or more (our calculation; NCHS publishes the same rate in Data Brief 508).
The average US woman who is 5′2″ weighs 165.1 lb (74.9 kg), measured in CDC’s 2021–2023 survey (our calculation, 385 women). That is above the healthy range at that height, 101 to 136 lb (46 to 61 kg). Average weight by height has every height.
There is no official ideal weight. At 5′3″ (160.0 cm), CDC’s healthy BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9 works out to 105 to 140 lb (48 to 63 kg). Published “ideal weight” formulas give one weight per height instead; the ideal weight calculator shows four of them.
Sources and method
Written by Marko Visic, MPharm. “Our calculation” means we computed the figure from CDC’s public survey files with the method below.
- CDC. Adult BMI Categories: the adult cut-offs and the “regardless of age, sex, or race” rule (page last reviewed March 2024).
- CDC. Child and Teen BMI Categories: percentiles for ages 2 to 19.
- CDC. Calculating BMI: the formulas in US units and metric.
- NIH (NHLBI). Body Mass Index Table (NIH Publication No. 22-HL-8190, September 2022): one column for each whole BMI from 19 to 54.
- CDC NHANES August 2021–August 2023 demographics and body measures files (DEMO_L, BMX_L): our calculation of the share of women aged 20 and over in each BMI category by age (3,249 women), of waist size by BMI category (3,113 with a measured waist) and of the 2026 ADA thresholds (3,216 women), weighted with the exam weights, pregnant women excluded; the same files give the average weight at each height on average weight by height.
- Emmerich SD, et al. NCHS Data Brief No. 508 (Sep 2024): obesity and severe obesity in US adults by sex and age, August 2021–August 2023.
- NHLBI. Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, treatment guidelines chapter (NIH, 1998): waist cut-offs for women and men.
- NICE (UK). Overweight and obesity management, guideline NG246 (2025): waist-to-height ratio categories for adults with a BMI under 35, a 2022 recommendation.
- American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee for Obesity. Screening, Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Staging of Obesity in Adults: Standards of Care in Overweight and Obesity—2026: obesity thresholds with waist size (recommendations 3.3a and 3.3b); ADA press release, June 2026.
- CDC. National Diabetes Prevention Program eligibility: BMI of 25 or higher, 23 or higher for Asian American adults.
- CDC NHANES 2011–2018 DXA body scans: our analysis of body fat by BMI band, women and men aged 20 to 59 (body fat percentage chart).
- Gallagher D, et al. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2000: body fat predicted from BMI, sex, age and ethnic group.
- The Global BMI Mortality Collaboration. Body-mass index and all-cause mortality (Lancet, 2016): hazard ratios per 5 BMI units by age at measurement, never-smokers.
- Winter JE, et al. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2014: BMI and mortality in adults 65 and over.
- CDC. Weight Gain During Pregnancy: recommended gain by BMI before pregnancy, from the Institute of Medicine.
Method. Chart: the lightest and heaviest whole pounds (or kilograms) whose BMI, rounded to one decimal, falls in each CDC category at each height, each unit worked out on its own; BMI = lb × 703 ÷ in², or kg ÷ m². US women: CDC NHANES August 2021–August 2023, women aged 20 and over with a measured height and weight, pregnant women excluded, weighted with the exam weights; BMI, waist and height as CDC records them; 95% confidence intervals by Taylor linearization over the survey’s strata and primary sampling units, and the page states only differences whose interval excludes zero. The 2026 ADA thresholds are applied to the measured BMI, waist and height; women identified in the survey as non-Hispanic Asian get the Asian thresholds; women whose class depends on a waist that was not measured (33) are left out of that comparison, and the BMI-only share is computed on the same women.